The First Day

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I finally backed out of my driveway at 10:57 am on Saturday, December 26, 2009. Earlier in the morning I had breakfast with a good friend of mine, loaded up the car, washed the dishes, and made arrangements for my trash and rent payments.

As soon as I got on the road, a stream of ideas started flooding my exhilarated brain. Here are a few of them... I realized why I like to travel. You see, traveling is like a new beginning in life. I am not talking about a weekend trip to visit friends. No, I am talking about a little more lengthy travel--a week or more camping etc. When you travel for a longer time, you have to pack your whole life into a suitcase or a car. In fact, what is left at home is more or less is expendable. In that sense, a trip is like a lifetime in itself. That's why I like to take road-trips--it is an opportunity to re-work your life into something more happy and more to the point.

More than meditation or prayer, or alcohol--travel has an amazing ability to alter my consciousness for the better. Maybe it is the sense of purpose that is bound to every trip, even a seemingly purposeless one.

I took my first break in Santa Barbara and decided to buy sunglasses since I no longer my previous pair. Buying sunglasses is always a big ordeal for me but I got used to it. I was able to pick out a pair in 5 or 10 minutes and $20 later I was off to Panda Express to get some yummy Chinese food.

My second stop was at Sanford Winery in/near Buellton. Even though the day was gloomy and I was not sure if I felt like stopping to do a wine tasting, I finally decided that I have nothing to lose. I turned off the highway and picked up Santa Rosa road that I knew led to Sanford. Regrettably, the tasting was a disappointment due to poor wines, a lack of good customer service, and a lack of company.

Despite the little setback at the winery, the day has been very enjoyable and I reached Morro Bay shortly after sunset. In a few minutes, I will head to a local bar for a beer and get some good night sleep since tomorrow I will be driving through my beloved Big Sur area.

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Comments

[Donatas]

solo travel advantage
I never looked at traveling as a new beginning in life. This certainly raises some questions. Can you achieve the same spiritual feelings when you travel with a group?

[Travel33]

It could be everything or could be nothing...
I believe traveling with a close friend or even in a group could be even more powerful than traveling alone but it could also be worse... It only takes one person to be negative or overly stubborn and the trip could suffer major setbacks. However, if the travelers are able to interact harmoniously, it could be an awesome experience.